Blue Jackets rally, score late to defeat Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Cam Atkinson scored with 2:46 remaining in the third period to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 5-4 win against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center on Thursday.

Columbus trailed 4-3 after being outshot 22-5 and outscored 3-1 in the second period.
"We gathered ourselves and had an opportunity to win the hockey game," Atkinson said. "We got it done. We're taking the right steps in the right direction. It might not be our prettiest, but we find a way to get it done."
WATCH: [All Blue Jackets vs. Panthers highlights]
Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists, Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, and Anthony Duclair and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets (3-1-0). Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves.
Atkinson scored the game-winner on a backhand rebound after Reimer saved a shot by Markus Nutivaara from the point. Florida challenged, claiming goalie interference, but the goal was upheld.

Evgenii Dadonov had a goal and two assists, Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist , and Troy Brouwer and Nick Bjugstad scored for the Panthers (0-1-1), who were playing their home opener.
James Reimer, starting with Roberto Luongo out with a knee injury, made 27 saves.
"I thought we played well for the most part," Reimer said. "Honestly, a couple of bad bounces. We worked hard and had our chances and they got a couple of lucky ones. That's just the way it goes sometimes."
Columbus tied it 4-4 at 1:15 of the third period when Jenner scored after his shot from the half-boards bounced off the stick of Florida defenseman Keith Yandle.
"We just played more straight-ahead, more north hockey (in the third period)," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I'm not going to answer many questions about the second period, but I will say it was probably one of the most stubborn, arrogant periods I've seen this team play as far as [what] they think they can do in the National Hockey League. So I'll leave it at that. We talked very quickly when they came in after the second period and I left it up to them. So I appreciate how they handled themselves. We score kind of a shaky goal, but that was our whole game plan, was trying to get pucks to the net. We find a way."
Columbus took a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals by Werenski and Panarin. Werenski scored at 13:29 on a 5-on-3 power play with a one-timer high to the glove side. Panarin scored at 17:20 on a breakaway after a turnover in the neutral zone.

Florida made it 2-1 at 19:49 when Barkov stole the puck in the defensive zone before feeding Dadonov for a one-timer on a 2-on-1.
Florida took the lead taking the first 15 shots of the second period.
Barkov tied it 2-2 at 6:29 when he took Dadonov's cross-ice pass and flipped the puck past Korpisalo. Brouwer gave Florida a 3-2 lead at 8:57 when he tipped Mark Pysyk's wrist shot from the point.

"We just got a lot more desperate," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "The first part of the game, it was celebration and the whole opening and everything. I think we started a little stale. You can't give a team a 5-on-3 for the first goal. That's what happens. So you're down one, then we lose handle of the puck there on the second one, down 2-0. I was real happy to see how we controlled the rest of the game. Our guys came back. I thought we were good. I thought we had some chances, even right up to the end there when we pulled our goalie. They pounced on theirs and we scored four. It should be good enough to win."
Duclair tied it 3-3 at 12:16 of the second period with a power-play goal; he beat Reimer with a wrist shot from the left face-off dot.
The Panthers again scored in the final seconds of a period to retake the lead, when Bjugstad redirected Dadonov's pass at 19:51 to make it 4-3.

They said it

"I just think we really have to realize the simpler we play and respect the League and the players in the League, we just need to really focus on how we have to play the right way." - Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella
"I don't think it's a time to panic or freak out. We battled hard in (in a 2-1 shootout loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning) and got a point. Had a chance to win. And again here tonight. You play the way we're playing offensively, we're going to win games. I'm really comfortable with how our team is playing." - Panthers goalie James Reimer

Need to know

The Panthers were 0-for-2 on the power play, making them 0-for-7 in two games. ... Florida forward Juho Lammikko played 9:43 in his NHL debut and was plus-1 with one shot on goal. ... Panthers center Vincent Trocheck won 15 of 21 face-offs (71 percent).

What's next

Blue Jackets: At the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SUN, FS-O, NHL.TV)
Panthers: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, FS-F, NHL.TV)